She doesn't curtsey to Beatrice and Eugenie - ever. If, in private, she is somewhere with just them or just a number of royal women they take precedence and so, for instance would enter a room first, but curtseying isn't part of the precedence. As this was a public event public precedence would apply and Kate, as the wife of the 2nd in line would take her precedence as William's wife - hence she is on the Philip's right hand side while the Queen is on his left and further along is Charles and Camilla. Her place is very definitely there as William's wife.

What in tarnation is up with Sophie? Every woman there is wearing solid black. Every Royal Woman always wears solid black. Sophie has always worn solid black. But yesterday she sashays out onto the balcony in a blue and black plaid dress???

And her red poppy is so small as to be invisible.

Is this an attempt to get some headlines and attention on herself? She is a ridiculous woman.

It is a very dark blue and not garish at all. Those ridiculous buttons on council cath´s coat take over, not quite the thing for Rememberance Sunday - but then she always gets it wrong wherever she goes. At least Sophie´s´s coat is very tame in comparison - more class and elegance in her little finger than council cath, who has none whatsoever. Give me Sophie´s coat any day above the one council cath is wearing, no doubt trying to flash her very trim waist line.

The point is, the dress for this occasion is solid black. A blue and black dress is out of line. Whatever possessed Sophie, the biggest hiney kisser of them all, the go outside the box in this manner? Very odd. And it doesn't like good. This is an occasion of mourning and solemnity. Solid black.

^ Do you mean in general, in England, for the royals or who? Of course, before the 19th century most mourners would wear whatever sober colours were in their wardrobes. However it was always slightly different for the funerals of young females. If a female child or unmarried girl died young then the funeral would often be white, white flowers, white clothing sometimes on the female mourners, with four to eight young girls dressed in white as pall bearers and sometimes a pair of white gloves would be placed on the coffin as a symbol of purity.

However, Victoria's reign lasted a very long time and as the years progressed mourning clothing became blacker and blacker even for child mourners. However, Victoria went back to the custom of her youth and requested a white funeral for herself, minus white-clad female pall bearers of course, and this was carried out.

The Queen Mother wore black mourning clothes in England when both her parents died. However she and King George VI were due to go on a State Visit to France when her mother passed shortly before. The Visit couldn't be put off and she couldn't wear black, especially as Paris was the fashion capital and this trip required something spectacular. So her designer went back to the old custom and made a completely white wardrobe for the Queen, which was greatly admired.

She doesn't curtsey to Beatrice and Eugenie - ever. If, in private, she is somewhere with just them or just a number of royal women they take precedence and so, for instance would enter a room first, but curtseying isn't part of the precedence. As this was a public event public precedence would apply and Kate, as the wife of the 2nd in line would take her precedence as William's wife - hence she is on the Philip's right hand side while the Queen is on his left and further along is Charles and Camilla. Her place is very definitely there as William's wife.

I was referring to the Queen Mum who I noticed was in all white but the papers said she was in mourning.

I didn't know she was in mourning for her own mother, until I read your post, and thought that a general change had occurred in the BRF from black being the colour of mourning as in Queen Victoria to when it changed to white. Obviously it was when Queen Mum's mother died.